GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers know how important securing special teams can be in a season with Super Bowl aspirations.
Several times over the past decade, the Packers have had promising teams fall short because of the game’s third phase. Missed kicks. Blocked punts. Assignment miscues. Perhaps no team in the NFL has been more tortured by special teams in the playoffs.
So while it won’t garner the same attention as trading for Micah Parsons, general manager Brian Gutekunst still managed to fit a significant transaction into Week 1. The Packers announced they extended punter Daniel Whelan on Sept. 4, keeping him in their future long term alongside kicker Brandon McManus and long snapper Matt Orzech.
All three received extensions this offseason. Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said it’s important to secure a special teams battery that has performed at a high level.
“To get a battery of three guys that you’d like to think you can keep together for a little while, I’ve been fortunate at other places I’ve been at, it’s been that way. And I think the commitment organizationally the Packers have made to those three guys is hopefully good for the future of us. Once you get it, you’d like to hang onto it for as long as you can.”
Whelan is most known for his booming leg. He averaged 4.59 seconds in hang time on 58 punts last season, similar to his 4.67-second average as a rookie in 2023. His 46.1-yard net average was 26th in the NFL last fall, but league rankings are misleading for a punter kicking on the frozen tundra. His regular-season average was similar to his 46.2-yard net average from 2023, the second best in franchise history.
“We’re excited about the direction he’s going in,” Bisaccia said.
Adam Stenavich says offensive line battles could be ongoing, even if starters are set for Week 1
Rasheed Walker won the starting left tackle competition exiting camp. The Packers determined keeping him on the blind side gave them their best unit over second-year lineman Jordan Morgan, despite a promising camp from the 2024 first-round pick.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Walker earned the job based on his play in camp, but he also praised Morgan’s development and indicated the competition could be ongoing throughout the season.
“I think just how he played, or how he’s played, in camp,” Stenavich said. “Again, competing. And it’s not like Jordan didn’t do it. I thought, from what I saw from him, he did an excellent job too. But at the end of the day when you go out there, you’re always looking to put your five best guys out there.
“For us, I still think we have good competition in the room. it’s not like we’re set right now, and this is what it’s going to be the rest of the year. I think this is going to be an ongoing thing, and I expect our guys to show up every day and keep playing hard to earn that spot.”
Jeff Hafley sends a heartfelt farewell to Kenny Clark
Jeff Hafley’s first thought after learning the Packers traded for Micah Parsons: “Holy cow, Micah’s coming.”
His second was realizing Kenny Clark would no longer be part of his defense. The Packers defensive coordinator had some heartfelt words for the veteran.
“The thing about Kenny is, and you guys know this, my first year coming back from college was last year as an NFL coordinator,” Hafley said. “Kenny’s been a vet. He’s been one of the best players in the NFL at his position for a long time, and I still think that he is. I don’t think he had as down of a year as everybody is making it out to be last year. That’s my opinion. That’s said and done. But what Kenny did and the buy-in and the type of pro he was and the way he helped me get this whole group to kind of buy into what we’re doing and go forward, I’m forever grateful to Kenny.
“You can’t ask for a better situation to walk into than I did with a veteran like Kenny Clark. I mean, I absolutely love the guy. He is what you dream up every pro to be from the meeting room to how he practices to how he takes coaching. I mean, the guy is just incredible. So that is not going to be replaced. That’s Kenny. That’s who he is. That’s rare.”
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers punter Daniel Whelan's extension secures three key specialists
